Aug 1 (Reuters) - Asset manager T. Rowe Price TROW.O beat second-quarter profit expectations on Friday as a rebound in equities boosted its assets under management and softened the hit from outflows.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Stock markets bounced back sharply in the second half of the quarter after tariff-driven turmoil in April as progress on trade negotiations eased recession fears.

Assets under management mainly depend on two factors - the performance of investments and money flowing in and out of the funds.

KEY QUOTE

"We have developed a broad and ongoing plan to reduce our expense growth over time while continuing to invest in capabilities and client reach. We believe that our plan will drive efficiency to fund investment in the future of the business," CEO Rob Sharps said in a statement.

CONTEXT

Active asset managers like T. Rowe usually buy and sell investments more frequently than passive fund managers.

Such firms have ceded market share and grappled with consistent outflows in recent years due to the growing popularity of low-cost passive funds, which centers around investing in index-tracking funds.

BY THE NUMBERS

T. Rowe's assets under management jumped 6.9% to $1.68 trillion in the quarter despite net client outflows of $14.9 billion.

Investment advisory fees, typically a percentage of the AUM, came in flat at $1.57 billion.

On an adjusted basis, T. Rowe earned $2.24 per share in the quarter, beating Wall Street expectations of $2.13, according to estimates compiled by LSEG.

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))